How do you hande religious obligations dealing with food?

I am Jewish. Being passover, I was wondering how other Jewish Paleos handle some very non-paleo obligations regarding food. On Passover we are required to drink four glasses of wine at the Seder and eat matzo. On the sabbath we are required to eat challah and drink a glass of wine. I usually just eat small amounts of bread. Can this occasional consumption of things we know are bad have detrimental effects, especially if trying to lose weight?

so how do you deal with this incongruency Caleb? When I felt it 7 yrs ago I decided my health was more important than my beliefs. The reason.....without my brain I would have no beliefs. IT became a chicken vs the egg decision I have never looked back upon til I read this question.

I'm a Jew, and I find that certain premises of the faith certainly don't mesh with my lifestyle. But I am okay with that, because I prefer to have a faith I dialogue (and sometimes argue) with than a faith which is static and abandoned. That said, I think certain principles of kashrut, like the ethical requirements for kosher meat, and in some circles even kosher dairy, are very important, and add a spiritual dimension to my eating, even though I am mostly paleo.

I am also Christian, my girlfriend is Buddhist and my brothers and sister are Jewish so I am familiar with the major religions. How do you get around Jesus mentioning bread so many times or breaking bread with his disciples? I know that Christians do not have food restrictions nor do we have to follow the "wrathful" part of the bible as it is the new covenant but bread is still mentioned multiple times. I am asking genuinely, I would like to have this issue not bother me

I'm a Christian, and I really don't have a problem with Paleo science vs. my faith. I'm not going to get into a religious discussion here, but Paleo nutrition guidelines don't contradict my faith/theology. I am also open to learning about the science of the Paleo way of eating. I may not agree with every single thing, but I am not into the Paleo/Primal way of eating for religious doctrine, I want to be healthy and fit.

All the religions you mention are agrarian ones. I think paleo and just learning about evolution in general was the breaking point between me and traditional religion (and reading the entire Torah/Bible and not wanting to be associated with some of the things in there). But at the time I decided I was not religious I was already not participating in religious rituals or community, which are the main benefits in my view, so I understand how people don't want to give that up.

Here is an article about a celiac rabbi http://www.jewishtimes.com/index.php/jewishtimes/resource_guide_article/jt/sourcebook/coping_with_celiac_disease/
Apparently oats qualify for challah according to some. Spelt is definitely allowed and is lower in carbs and gluten.

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Answers

Years ago I was on a low-carb forum where this was discussed. One of the participants consulted with his rabbi and was told that, halachically speaking, the amount of food that must be consumed to fulfill a mitzvah is the equivalent to the size of an olive. That shouldn't be enough to cause weight gain or cravings.

I know a Jewish family where several members are celiac. Gluten free matzo is available and while it certainly isn't paleo, it's better than consuming gluten. You can also get gluten free challah. I think the best Jewish gluten-free site is Elena's. She uses almond flour too, which while isn't perfect, it's nearly paleo and so much healthier than wheat flour.

Here is an article about a celiac rabbi http://www.jewishtimes.com/index.php/jewishtimes/resource_guide_article/jt/sourcebook/coping_with_celiac_disease/
Apparently oats qualify for challah according to some. Spelt is definitely allowed and is lower in carbs and gluten.

The more Paleo I become and especially the more I read I find Im loosing more and more of my religious faith. Jews, Christians and Muslims = religions that use bread as an important part of life. Buddha said one should wish "they come back as rice in a time of famine." I just see how maladapted we are for grain and the fact that all of the religions were blind to it makes me question them.

I still am religious but it is something that I struggle with as I see how the "truth" of Paleo sometimes calls these religions truths into question

All the religions you mention are agrarian ones. I think paleo and just learning about evolution in general was the breaking point between me and traditional religion (and reading the entire Torah/Bible and not wanting to be associated with some of the things in there). But at the time I decided I was not religious I was already not participating in religious rituals or community, which are the main benefits in my view, so I understand how people don't want to give that up.

I'm a Christian, and I really don't have a problem with Paleo science vs. my faith. I'm not going to get into a religious discussion here, but Paleo nutrition guidelines don't contradict my faith/theology. I am also open to learning about the science of the Paleo way of eating. I may not agree with every single thing, but I am not into the Paleo/Primal way of eating for religious doctrine, I want to be healthy and fit.

I am also Christian, my girlfriend is Buddhist and my brothers and sister are Jewish so I am familiar with the major religions. How do you get around Jesus mentioning bread so many times or breaking bread with his disciples? I know that Christians do not have food restrictions nor do we have to follow the "wrathful" part of the bible as it is the new covenant but bread is still mentioned multiple times. I am asking genuinely, I would like to have this issue not bother me

I'm a Jew, and I find that certain premises of the faith certainly don't mesh with my lifestyle. But I am okay with that, because I prefer to have a faith I dialogue (and sometimes argue) with than a faith which is static and abandoned. That said, I think certain principles of kashrut, like the ethical requirements for kosher meat, and in some circles even kosher dairy, are very important, and add a spiritual dimension to my eating, even though I am mostly paleo.

so how do you deal with this incongruency Caleb? When I felt it 7 yrs ago I decided my health was more important than my beliefs. The reason.....without my brain I would have no beliefs. IT became a chicken vs the egg decision I have never looked back upon til I read this question.

I strongly agree with the 80/20 principal- afterall we are human and if we can 20 % off without the guilt. The remaining 80 will get our full attention. The day after the 20% is perfect for fasting. So go do what you must- we'll leave a light on for you. Enjoy it all.

I do not think the occasional consumption of a particular food will has a detrimental effect on the body, (unless you are allergic to a food like nuts or shellfish, of course). If I am obliged to attend such events, I try to enjoy it, relax and have fun. If I have to do it anyway, I enter into the spirit of things and am prepared to feel under parr for a few days after the event; that is when many old symptoms return and I then have an opportunity for a 'reality check' on exactly how far I have come along since leaving those old eating habits behind.

It can be really useful in this respect to just remind yourself of what symptoms you put up with before!

If I feel there really will be lots of food on offer that I do not want to eat, I have a large paleo meal before attending the event and then I do not feel so tempted to just let go and binge on 'the bad things' - also the wine seems more manageable on a full stomach.

Make sure you eat some fatty meat to balance out the carbs/sugars you will be consuming around this time and milk thistle extract may help your liver detox from the alcohol the next day (take it before you go to bed).

Paleo is a very forgiving diet and your body is amazing - it will most definitely bounce back because it wants to bounce back if given the chance, so after the event, be extra vigilant, maybe eat lightly for a while and all should get back on track within a few days......

We will always be faced with challenges along the way and unless we live a life of solitude, there will always be occasions to attend, food that must be declined whilst others around you enjoy them and food you are obliged to eat. Your body will always be able to handle the rough - as long as it then continues to get more of the smooth......

I had the same dilemma! At the moment I still eat gluten (I will have testing for celiac in a month) so I ate symbolic amounts of matzo. I drunk the wine - but not full glasses. You can also add water to wine, but can't remember the acceptable ratio when you can still say the brachah.

When I go completely gluten-free, I will stop eating challah. I believe my health is more important, and if indeed I am celiac, I won't be able to have even tiny amounts. If you are not celiac, you may choose to eat symbolic amounts which are lower than halachic requirements (the "olive size" became more of a head size over the years...).

When my tradition was shaken by new lifestyles (eating, thinking, birthing,etc) ,I met much opposition where fitting into the traditional was everything. But its not. Faith is in the Creator, not mans creation. The rabinical traditions give a faulse sense of faith because they are tradition. Their points of view help to understand the thinking of their time. But they were only men as they are today, imperfect. The faith Ya desires is in him and his word, and his promise of salvation through Yashua (Jesus). Isaiah 53 speaks of Him, read it for yourself. And let Ya be your guild, not tradition. Fear of man will be your snare, but whoever truss in the LORD is kept safe. Proverbs 29:25. But whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm. Proverbs 1:33. Faith in man produces an outward righteousness, but inwardly full of hypocrisy and iniquity, because even the law cannot save a man from his sinful heart. But the gift of Ya, Yashua and his gospel is the power of Ya unto salvtion to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the power of Ya revealed from faith to faith: as it is writen, The just shall live by faith. Romans 1:16. So, let the word of Ya be our guild, not tradition.